Kim Schuetrum

Recent Articles

PORTER TOWNSHIP — A man is locked up on attempted homicide charges in Schuylkill County for allegedly shooting his wife in the head while her three children were in the house. Troopers say Ramon Mercado shot Heidi Mercado during an argument Thursday night at a home near Tremont. The victim was listed in stable condition.

Friday’s Talkback 16 starts off with comments about another act of violence at Sherman Hills in Wilkes-Barre recently. One caller offers an opinion on PennDOT’s plan to smooth out the roads, and another has something to say about stories they’ve seen on Newswatch 16.

HENRYVILLE — Officials with the Pennsylvania SPCA say 122 kittens and cats were rescued from a home in Monroe County. According to authorities, the animals were living in filthy, flea-infested conditions at the house near Swiftwater. Officials say the owners planned to open a sanctuary for cats were unable to keep up with how quickly they reproduced. Authorities have not said if the owners are facing any charges.

On Thursday, plenty of callers to Talkback 16 wanted to share their thoughts on Kathleen Kane’s response to the charges she’s facing. Plus, some callers talk about the new barriers on the Casey Highway.

WEST HAZLETON — Police say surveillance video shows an attack on a woman outside a store in Luzerne County Thursday. Investigators said the man waited for the woman to leave the “Puff and Stuff” store along North 4th Street. He attacked her and tried to take her purse. A group of bystanders chased the man away. According to officers, that man pointed a gun at the group, jumped into a car, and took off. Officials say the woman had minor […]

Thursday’s Talkback 16 callers shared their thoughts on the Republican debate, and an entrepreneur who had a slightly different kind of business in mind. Plus, there were calls about housing authority members accused of using taxpayer money to go on trips.

MOSCOW — The veggies are at their peak at a garden project in Lackawanna County. For the past five weeks, folks have been picking produce from the garden project at the North Pocono Library. All of the food that’s been harvested has been donated to a local food pantry. Newswatch 16 first visited the project in June. It’s different from most community gardens where people have their own plots of land. This garden in Lackawanna County is a team effort […]

SCRANTON — Police say a 17-year-old was burned when a firework exploded inside his apartment Friday afternoon. It happened along Coar Place near the city’s downtown. The teen has second-degree burns on his chest and stomach. Officers say his injuries are not life-threatening. Police are still investigating what happened.

ORWIGSBURG — A post office in Schuylkill County is getting ready to shut down temporarily. The Orwigsburg post office is expected to close starting Saturday due to “environmental issues.” According to the postal service, delivery customers should not notice a change in their service but anyone with a P.O. Box will have to get their mail at the post office on North Centre Street in Pottsville. There’s no word on when that post office may reopen.

Thursday’s Talkback 16 has abandoned cats, and some differing opinions on a big winning lottery ticket that came from our area. Also, one caller might have the solution to an overcrowded prison in Schuylkill County.

LAFAYETTE, LA — As moviegoers settled in for the comedy “Trainwreck,” John Russell Houser stood up and unloaded at least 13 shots. Then, as people rushed from the theater, the 59-year-old man joined them and headed outside, apparently toward his blue 1995 Lincoln Continental. Then Houser noticed the sirens from police converging on the Lafayette, Louisiana, theater. So he went back inside and took his own life. By that point Thursday night, 21-year-old Mayci Breaux of Franklin, Louisiana, was dead. […]